Bustle



(No Model.)

l C. W. WBRTZ.

BUSTLE.

zewes.

arney UNITED STATES CHARLES IV. WER'IZ, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,149, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed Tuly 9, 1888.

To all whom imag concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. Wnnrz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Iniproveinents in an Adjustable Bustle and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to inake and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this speciication.

My invention relates to an adjustable bustle of that character wherein there are elnployed a series of coiled springs havingl their upper ends secured to the vertical or rectangular frame orforin and the lower e'iids thereof free to contract vertically when desired.

The object of the invention is to prov ide a frame-work beneath the coils that shall have an adjust-ability to vary the fullness of the bustle by raising the coils, and that when adjusted will rigidlyhold the coils to the desired height, thereby giving the bustle any desired fullness.

The invention consists in the parts and cour bination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l. is a perspective view of the under side of the bustle, showing in full lines the fraine expanded and the coils in normal position, and in dotted lines the fraine contracted with the line of expansion of the coils. Fig. 2 illustrates a foi-1n of covering for the vertical frame or forni having means for contracting the saine by a lacing'.

A designates a vertical or rectangular frame or form, the top and sides thereof being oi' wire, and the lower portion consisting of a strap, I3, attached at each end to coils in the side wires, and provided with a buckle, O, by which to adj ust the strap to any desired length to allow for contraction or expansion of the frame connected thereto. Each side wire, D, of the vertical or rectangular frame is coiled at E, the coil ending in a spring-arm, E', as shown.

F designates the band to the bustle attached to the horizontal wire of the vertical fraine or for1n,F beinga tape of greater width attached to the horizontal wire and to the side wires, l).

G are a series of coil-springs, shown as covered with a suitable fabric and attached to the rectangular frame at the point of attachnient of the band and tape, the lower portion of the coils depending therefrom in the arc of a circle.

II and ll are bails having triangular top and base portions, the strap B being the base of the lower triangle. Each bail is formed with a horizontal portion, I, and side bars, K, bent at acute angles to the horizontal portion and crossed at a point about centrally of their lengths, the ends of each side bar being secured in the coils of the side wires of the forni or rectangular fraine. The side bars of bail H are engaged by the hooked ends E of the spring-arms E. Each horizontal portion I of the bails is attached to the covering of the coils by loops L, the lower bail, ll', being attached about centrally of the length of the coils, and the upper bail, Il, at a point nearer the upper end of the coils.

M is a tape secured" to the coils by a loop, M', and to bail Il at a point where the side bars cross.

lVith the bustle in its normal position, as shown in full lines, Fig. l, to give the bustle niore fullness by raising the coils relatively to the forin, adjusting-strap Bis shortened by pulling one end through buckle O and securing the same therein. This has the eifect of contracting side wires, D, thereby projecting bails II'and ll upwardly, as shown in dotted lines, and as a consequence the coils, which may be caused to assume the degree of fullness indicated by dotted lines.

In Fig. 2 is shown a forin of cover, N, for the rectangular frame or forni, which is attached to the upper and side portions of thc rectangular frame or forni, in which event the adjusting-strap and buckle are omitted, and the side wires are contracted or allowed to expand by tension of a lacing, O, in cover N, the expansion or contraction of the lacing producing the same effect upon the frames and coils as has been described.

By means of rectangular frame or form A IOO and hails ll. .ll the bustle is held lirnily to any degree of fullness determined by the expansion or eontraetion of the hails, and the lower portion of the coils has a free vertical movement toallow the same to Afold out ol' the way ol' the wearer when in the act ol sitting. By reason oli' the spring-arms bearinI upon bail ll and the eoils being' etn'nieeted withv trame ll through the medium of tape M, the bustle at all times quickly assumes its normal position when released from having' been folded in the aet of sitting.

\Vhile I have shown two barils, it will be apparent that l may employ but one, or more than two, without departin from the spirit of my invention.

That l claim isa l. In a bustle, a Vertical `'rame provided with eyes at eaeh lower extremity and coiled springs attached at their upper ends to the upper edge of said Vertical trame, in combination with one or more bails eonneeted at their lower ends with the eyes of the vertical l'rame and extending' ohliouely upward and outward to a eonneetimi with the under side of said coi led springs, anda flexible diaphragm eonneetiug the lower ends of the vertical frame and serving to eontraet the same :for raising the coils, substz'uitially as described.

2. Ina bustle, the Combination of a vertieal trame having side bars Vformed with eyes at their lower ends, said eyes terminating in sp ri] ig-arnls, said arms having loops which enibraee the hails, c oiled springs attaehed to the upper portion ol' the vertiealtrame, bails eonneeted with said eoiled springs and with the eyes ol the side bars, and an adjusting-strap eonneeted to the side bars of the vertical frame for contracting' the same, substantially as set forth. i

ln testimony that l elaim the foregoingP as my own 'If hereby alliX my signatu re in presenre ol.' two witnesses.

CHARLES XVERTZ.

Witnesses:

f'iLLmM \V1 il1;s'r1in, (Kani-:erm J. WEBs'IER. 

